


Cat Naps

by diaphanous87



Series: The Many Ships of Tilly [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Mutual Pining, Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Pining, The thirst is real, bicep thirst, let WoL take a nap, rarepair madness, the author indulges herself, this is my fic and even I'm yelling at them to kiss already
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-23 00:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21310792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diaphanous87/pseuds/diaphanous87
Summary: Oh maiden most fair, warrior of greatest might.Before me do you rest without worry, peaceful in my presence.The curve of your cheek and the sound of your voice,The grace of you stirs my heart.Oh no.
Relationships: X'rhun Tia/Warrior of Light
Series: The Many Ships of Tilly [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1536589
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	Cat Naps

**Author's Note:**

> In which the author indulges herself in OC/NPC shipping goodness. 
> 
> >:3c

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** Cat Naps **

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Stepping into the study, X’rhun was surprised at how low the candles had gotten. Tilting his head to listen for the occupant he had left in the room while he had gone off to take care of some errands, he heard only soft breathing. The Tia hummed. He removed his hat to set on the peg on the wall by the door. His ears flexed as if stretching in their freedom. Tugging off his gloves, he set them down on a table next to a bowl that held a set of keys.

“Tilly?” X’rhun called softly in the dim room. “Ma’tylda?” He walked around a towering bookshelf and his keen eyes spotted his quarry. His lips quirked up into a bemused smile. “Oh dear, it appears I was gone too long.”

Bent over a desk, his former student snoozed with her head resting in the cradle of her folded arms. The soft breathing he had managed to hear had been her. Her long ears were relaxed back and her tail hung down through the space between the back rest and the seat of her chair. The tip of her long leonine tail twitched. But she did not wake.

X’rhun knew it had been late but he had not expected to find Tilly napping so soundly. “Tilly…” He approached, wondering if her senses would wake her like they normally would. She usually slept so lightly, a habit from constantly being on the road. And probably from being the Warrior of Light with no shortage of people wanting to kill her. But he spied the bags of exhaustion under her eyes. They were more obvious in the dim candlelight. But still she did not wake. Was it exhaustion or trust that allowed her to sleep through his entrance and approach? When was the last time she slept properly?

Finally close enough to touch, he stroked his fingertips along the apple of her cheek. One of her ears twitched as did her nose. “Rhun…” she sighed but her eyes did not open. The delicate fan of her lashes stayed lowered.

Oh. X’rhun jerked back his hand. To hear his name without the prefix of the X tribe from her lips was… He covered his mouth with his hand in embarrassment. He could feel the blush heating his cheeks. Surely he was too old to be moved by something so simple. They were close enough to warrant her using the more intimate version of his name, though she had never done so whilst awake. But the way she had said it so softly and sweetly; X’rhun had never heard her speak thusly. It was usually stoic silence or a growling commanding tone in the midst of battle. Or the occasional excited exclamation. Tilly was not one for words even when enthusiastic.

“Hmmm…?” Tilly scrunched up her nose and her eyelids fluttered. Her tail curled. All signs that she was waking.

Hurriedly X’hrun took a step back so it would seem like he wasn’t crowding her. “Tilly, wake up,” he said, forcing himself to not reach out with his hand. “Tilly?”

Sitting up, Tilly opened her eyes in an aggrieved squint. But then she smiled when she saw who had woke her, her eyes lighting up. She even flashed a bit of her short fangs, she smiled so widely. “X’rhun, you’re baaaack!” She yawned whilst speaking, covering her mouth with one hand while she stretched up her other arm straight into the air. The tips of her ears quivered as she stretched them up. She shook her head. “Excuse me. When did you get in?” She looked up at him, the pale green shade of her irises bright even in the candlelight.

“I just came back,” he answered. Even though he had only removed his gloves and hat, X’rhun felt oddly naked beneath her scrutiny. There was a mark on her cheek from sleeping on her long sleeves. Why did he find that charming? “But enough about me. Mayhap you should be in bed.” But the idea lost a bit of merit when her stomach grumbled. “Or perhaps we should get dinner instead. Did you not eat whilst I was gone?”

Her ears flicked in embarrassment, her gaze darting away. “I was waiting for you,” she muttered. Tilly shoved her chair back and made to stand. She let out a squawk as she stepped wrong. “Shit!”

X’rhun grabbed her by the biceps to steady her. He blinked as her own hands gripped at his elbows from below. In the silence they stood there, staring at one another. Through the cotton of her casual tunic, he could feel the curve of her muscled biceps beneath his thumbs, surprisingly bigger than he expected. He appreciated the hinted at strength of her covered arms. She always covered her arms in long sleeves, as a lancer and as a red mage. Then again she was always covered from shoulders to toes, never a flash of excess skin. Unusual for a Miqo’te woman, even the more modest ones. But he realized the strange spiral of his thoughts and shook his head.

“X’rhun?”

“Ah, my apologies. Are you alright now?”

“Oh, umm, yes. Dinner?” A blush spread across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, her sun darkened skin doing nothing to hide the red even in the dimness of the room.

“Aye… dinner…” X’rhun swallowed. He let her go once he realized that his traitorous thumbs were rubbing circles on her biceps. He swept himself into an elaborate courtly bow to hide his own blush. “Come, my dear!” he exclaimed. “Let us find an excellent meal to satiate ourselves!” He mentally groaned at his wording. But his over the top theatrics did the trick of distracting her, her laughter music to his ears. Gallantly he offered his elbow her. “Shall we?”

“Hm!” Tilly threaded her arm around his. Did she just… grope his bicep? No, surely not. “We’ll grab your hat and gloves, aye?”

“Of course, a gentleman is always wears his hat and gloves whilst out and about as is proper."

“Oh, I don’t know all about that,” Tilly said, a sly tilt to her smile. “But the only one allowed to see your hands and ears is me.”

X’rhun choked on his next breath in surprise.

****

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**END**

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Tap that kudos button and/or leave a comment if you like!


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